Monday, April 20, 2015

A Hypebeast is defined as someone who "hypes" a major release because everyone wants the latest and greatest. Essentially meaning that a Hypebeast only wants something because it is "hot" not because they actually want it. This term originated with sneaker enthusiasts (aka Sneakheads), but is really applicable to anything "collectible". I am a hypebeast.

To continue from the past post about being a hustler and always looking for new ways to make a dollar, it only makes sense that I am a hypebeast and getting in on the latest trends and products that will be good for a quick flip into cash. Known as "flippers", these people generally care more about making money than the item being sold. People like to bitch and complain about flippers and say how they are scourge of the earth and force prices up. To these people, I say you are a hypocrite and full of shit.

Now let me explain. We all have our hobbies and things we like to collect. Some people are extreme (think hoarders) and others are just super fans of some subject matter (sports, toys, cars, etc.). But the fun of it all is finding those things that make you happy. So there is this notion that things are "rare" or "limited edition" as the marketing people LOVE to claim. What does this mean? It means that the perceived value for said item is super high. What happens next is people start to capitalize on "rare" and "limited" items for big dollars. This is where the hype gets evil. When something is HOT people will pay a premium for it. Thus a flipper is born. It is pure supply and demand. Lots of demand combined with low supply equals high prices.

The point is if you are in it to make money, then this is just how things are. I love the latest and greatest "collectible" I am not foolish enough to believe anything is truly rare, but if I can make some cash, you better believe I will. Let's be honest, if you bought a pair of the latest Nike Jordans for $180 and could flip them for $500-1000 (depending on the model), you sure as hell would sell in a heartbeat. This is why (sadly) people are getting shot over sneakers. Ever hear the term "don't hate the player, hate the game"? Well that applies here. As long as people pay ridiculous prices for things, people will be trying to make a profit.

Case in point. I woke up at 7AM to buy these Nike Air Jordans - "Hare Jordan" Space Jam edition. Why in the world am I waking up so early? Because the hype on these shoes is high and if I can buy in at $180 (a ridiculous price) and flip for $400+ why not? For me personally, I really enjoy the chase of finding the "rare" items and selling for a profit. It is a lot of work and takes a lot of time, but it is fun for me. In general, I won't stoop to the lows that some people will, but I enjoy the "hype" and the chase. You do too. I say have fun and enjoy the chase, but understand that you cant get them all.... and if you could, what would the fun be in that?

Thursday, April 2, 2015

Welcome to my blog! Think of this space as the musings of a long time toy collector. Nothing brings me more joy than collecting and tracking down the next treasure for my collection. I plan to cover a variety of topics all related to my unhealthy obsession with robots, legos, vinyl toys, and so much more. One day I hope to have people actively reading/following this and if there are topics that interest you more than others, please let me know.

Early on in my childhood I quickly realized my toy collecting hobby was really limited to what my parents would buy me. I was too young to have a job and it isn't like I was able to go to the bank and get a credit card. I also did not get an allowance for chores/good grades... I grew up in an Asian household. My parents were not about to pay me for shit I was supposed to do for free. The only logical way to get more of what I wanted was to trade. The classic example being kids who trade lunch items to get that snack your own parents refused to get you. Lunchables anyone? Those things were the shit back in the day.

Junk food brought a huge premium when it came to lunch time trades. No one wanted a sandwich...kids wanted sugar. Sodas, Snickers, Starbursts, M&M's... this was currency. The kids who got the Ding Dongs, or Moon Pies, or Skittles in their lunch held this "power" over the less fortunate kids. It was amazing to see what kids would offer up for sugary snack. You'd see kids offering up their toys, for a stupid Hostess pastry. I was blown away. A Transformer you could play with indefinitely, but a Twinkie is gone in 10 seconds. I soon realized that I needed "in" on this game as this was the solution for me to get that new Transformer that my parents would not buy me.

I had a secret weapon... I had access to Asian brand candies that the American kids didn't. More specifically, I am talking Super Lemon and Super Cola candies. If you do not know what these are, they are hard candies that taste like Lemon or Cola and have a TON of sour powder on them. You could only find these in Asian markets and this was before there were 99 Ranch Markets everywhere. More importantly, Super Cola/Lemon was different from any American candy on the market. This would be my first economics lesson in supply and demand. I was the supply and there was a HUGE demand. It was not hard to get my parents to buy me a bag here and there... I want to say it was $2.50 for a bag that contained 10-12 pieces, so roughly $.25 a piece.

As stated above, kids get stupid when they want something they cant have. Trading for food got old real fast and I realized I did not want sandwiches, I wanted more toys. I wasn't getting the offers of Transformers and GI Joes that I dreamed of. I kept getting offered food items that I couldn't possibly finish on my own. So I stopped trading for food... and one day a desperate schmuck offered me $1 for ONE candy! This was the epiphany that forever changed my life.... I didn't get allowance from my parents, BUT that didn't mean I couldn't sell candies to other kids for their allowance. Soon enough I was flipping $2.50 into $10-12 for every bag I got from my parents. At 8 years old, a hustler was born...

Your Captain

From my first Transformer to my latest Lego set, I never grew up and love all sort of toys. Being a veteran of numerous conventions, toy shows, and world traveling, I have seen it all and want to share with you my greatest treasure finds and share my stories along the way. I hope you find the stories interesting and share any feedback you may have. Thanks for reading!